Engine inspection stand



Sept. 21, 1943. J. H. vsTALEY 2,329,860,

EIIGvINE'y INSPECTION STAND f4 Wawy/f7.1.

Sept.` 21, 1943. v.|. H. s'rALEY 4 2,329,860

ENGINE INSPECTION STAND I Filed Dec. 51, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /A/l/f/V mp Sept. 21, 1943. J. H. sTALEY ENGINE INSPECTION STAND Filed Dec. 31, 1941 3 Sheets-Shee't 3 /A/Vf/Vra/Q, Q/wf/v/ JW@ fr, 5y Ms ma, raP/Vf/o". I

Patented Slept. 21, 1943` `engine `in the same relative position as it is mit removal and inspection ofthe fably receive in a rockable manner an arm bracket OFFICE t. aszaso 'fjncNGINE lNsPso'rroN STAND:

Joseph Staley, Columbo:rs,vIr1d.` I y Application December s1, 1941, seme..1`1\o.` 4215.072l

1 Claim.

'I'his invention relates tol engine fstands for rockably supporting `radial engines of the type now being used in United States `lfirrny tanks, and particularly tol those `types of. `radial engines equipped with steadybars. One of the uses of the standsL embodying the` present inventionis to receiveand support an engine Yfor inspection purposes, although the invention is notto be limited to that use alone. A o

' In practice, the radial engine is removedy from a tank at the, end ofone hundredhoursuse, and acareful' inspection is then made of the engine before it is put back intorservice again. The presentinvention isdesigned toy support lthe radial mounted in the tank,` andifurther, to permit revolution of the engine to give access to'the various members of the engine,andparticularly'to pero n push rodsof the horizontally disposed cylinders.- Y fr The stand embodying the present invention is extremely'simple in construction and provides primarily a base, from the ends pf .Whichfbase extend vertically upvvard1y`-supports that detachthat has been previously attached to theengine before the engine ris placed injthe stand. 'I'here are no beams or memberscfl theA stand intercon-V necting the supports above the base, The supports themselves are reduced toja very simple skeleton structure having a minimumwidth at their top endsso as to give the maximum .possible access to the engine in the standfrom the ends of the stand.

' .Othervimportant objects and ,advantages of 3 the inventionA will become apparent to those versed in the art in the yfollowing description of one particular form 4of the invention as illustrated in vthe accompanying drawings, in which I3k respectivelyare angle irons I4Qan'd'I5 symnietricallyincli'ned toward the center linev through the base channel irons Iy and I I.v The "upper, endsof theseangle irons I4 'and I5 kare intercon-` 'nectedvand tied together by a vertically disposed plate I6, thevplate t6 being brought against'fthe outer'faces `of corresponding legs ofthe angle irons MfandI'S and Welded thereto. Thev plate I6 is provided vvith a slot Il' enteringfrornthev top edge Vof the plate, centrally thereof, and terminate ing with" a lower semicircular end, this ,end serv-rv ingasfa bearing as will hereinafter be explained.v

Across the lower part of this plate I6 and between thefupperends of the angle Iirons i4 and I5'is a horizontallydisposed vrslot I8, spaced belovvA the vertically disposed slot: Il. As above indicated, both supportsv are identically constructed," but for ijeference,y onefsupport will be generallydesignated by the nur'1`^'.`er`a1V I3 and the other by the numeral 20. f 'f In orderl to space apart these supports I9 4and l 2U the requireddistance, and to hold them rigidly in uprightpos'itions. a pair of rnetaltubesv 2l and 22` have theirfv respective ends inserted through axially aligned holes Vprovided near both theouterends of the channel irons II), II as in dicated in Figs.' 1 and 3. One or both of thev sup-4 ports Iiiy and 2fmay be shifted along the tubes 2`I and 22 to give the desired Lspacing therebetvveen.44 The supports Iii` and 20 are'rigidly iixed' in position With the desired spacing by passingjll.-

boltsV 23`I'upward1y around the'tubest2l and 22 be;

tween the channel irons IIJ and Ilandv through- A holes provided in the plates l2 and .I3 tojbe Fig. l'is a Vview inside elevation of a structure 40 embodying ythe invention; I Y' Fig.2, a View in `top plan;

Fig. 3', a view in end elevation;

Fig. 4, a view in elevation from `the insideface .of an arm bracket assembly; n 45 Fig; 5, a top plan View of" the arm bracket assembly; and f A' Fig. 6, aA view. in elevation lfr'omthe steady bar end of'theasseinbly.` i Y Likecharacters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

A pair of end supports, each identical in' structure, are made such asby casting or by building up from individual members, such as is herein shown whereinstructural `forms are employed;- 55

screvv-threadedly engaged by their ends with nuts 24 vas meansV for 4pullingthe bolts upwardly snugly against the` tubes and therebyfclamping them rigidly Withth`e channel irons I0 and II., The spacing apart of the webs of the channel irons" I!) and I I` alongthe tubes 2I and 22, one web on each side ofthe interveningbolt 23, adequately serves toprevent' any tendency of the support to rock inrespect to the interconnecting tubes 2| and 22.

This 'construction gives a very rigid positioning and maintenance of the supports I9 andv 2l).Y .An unique bracket assembly' is provided toen-` gage withthe engine tobe carried byv the stand.'

sembly. Furthermore, y this particular type of engine in, question employs a steadyibar to'assist in holding'the engine in the position indicated. This steady bar is a tubular member open at both ends.

With that much structure of the particular en-y gine in mind, reference is now made to the arm bracket assembly which enters into the present invention. In this assembly is a main vertically disposed arm bracket 2G consisting essentially of a metal plate of suicient thickness to prevent tendency Ato bend from v.its flatcondition. At one endbi this .bracket 28 is mourned .the `25 spaced inwardly from .the ace ofthe `bracket .by any suitable .meanssuch ras byagleng-th Vof metal pipe or tubing 21, the .parts being A.interconnecteol in :any suitable manner, .such .as by; welding. On the other side o f ,the `bracket 25 is positioned a shortkshaft or trunnionlfi, .to extend from :the opposite sideof 4the bracket. The horcontalaxes of the vpad 25 .and tri-iranien 28 ,aresubstantially at ,the same distances from the .top edgeof the bracket. This trunnion. 2.8,.in theforrn .hereinshown, isiixedto .thebracket i213'` by having a reduced diameter portioneirtending on through the .bracket 2'6 .to be weldedtthereto .on the opposite side. The `trunnion-,Zil is lfurther provided with an annularly extendinguflange 29.011 its outer .free end. Fig. 5., to leavea cylindrical bearing surface between' the -lange 29 vand the bracketl..

, .Asteady bar 3Il,herei:n v.showrnas being tubular. has one end abuttedagairrst the inner face of the bracket .26 joined near the .lowervright-hand corner :thereof as viewed inFig. 4, theaxis of this bar 3B beingparallel tozthe axis vof, the trunnion 2B-andperpendicular .to the-iace -oi the pad .7.5. As indicated rl'Fg. 4, `theaxis fof this bar 3B is spaced below the axes of the pad 25 andthe trunnion 2B; The bracket 26 is ,taper-ed `from a wide end, at which islocated the ysteady bar, to a narrow end at which Yis Alocated .the pad 25 through its-extension 2.1,.Fig. fl. A gusset plate t3l is welded .on thetop side of the bar3iland-against the bracket .28, Fig. .6,.to reinforce the bar Eiland to prevent bendingoi .the bar from itsperpendioular alignment with the face fof the bracket 26. 'Die harll, in .the present form,is formed to have its outerendof that diameter which engage Awith .a .sliding :it in-tofthe Asteaalybar carried-by the engine, theremainder A,ofthe being preferably enlarged in diameter to resistutendencyto bend. A f

Twoof these acm braoketyassemblies, asabove described, are required, .and-jor` sake of convenence aregenerallyy designated by the 'numorals 32 and 33. The assembly 132 is's'ecuredto one `side of .theengine lig/inserting itssteady bar i 30 into the steadybar A.socket'oithe engine and the Lpad 5 is bnought up against the corresponding .mountingpad of the eng-ine .and there secured by 'bolts (not Vshowin` entered through :the holes 34 (Eig. 4) so that the assemblyis firmly iattached to theengineon theorie side. ,Inthesame manner thefother-arm bracket assennbly` 3351s *secured to the opposite side `fof `the engine.

With the two arm bracket assemblies 32 and 33 thus attached to the engine, the engine is lowered between the supports I9 and 29 to have the respective trunnions 28 of the arm bracket assemblies entered into the slots I1 provided, as above described, in the supports I9 and 2D. The trunnions come to rest at the lower ends of these slots I I so that the engine is then supported through the arm bracketM assemblies directly upon thesuDlJOItS'EISlV and 20. :The armi bracket assemblies 32 and3`3 are each provided with one or more holes'35 through the arm brackets 26, Fig. 4, herein shown as two in number, to come into p alignment upon rocking of the arm bracket assemblies with one or more holes 3G provided in the 'plate I5. The locations of these holes 35 and of the hole 36 are selected in accordance with the degree of rotation of the engine desired, and

l maintainthatrockedfposirmn.

serting a pin through the hole `3&3 into the particular ,-hole .'55 registeredtherebehind. .In the form .herein shown, Fig.- 3, -two Aholes .3G are employed, a lpin.31`being-positioned .in that hole 36 of the .plate L5 and the hole 5in the arrnbracket 2B to .hold .the .arm bracket assemblies in their hdrizontally .disposed positions, Fig. 3, i wherein the axis of the 'engine is ,horizontally 'disposed. When the engine is to be r'ockedto -sornesuclgr po-l sition as will carry the arm bracket assemblies aroundtt)V an` .inclined position as indicatedby dash lines in Fig.. 3, thesecond rl'iolein Vthe arm bracket 2.6 will register Qwiththehole "iilto` permit the pin being inte'reng) ed-.accordingly to f In these .particular types .of,.zta 'nk radial `engines, .the lhori'zoritally `.cylir'jlders f .have push rods normally positioned .behind the arm bracketsj. In', orderto permit the Aremoval fof these push rods, the arm .braclieti-@5iny is .provided with an opening'fli therethrough, Eig .4, jand the slot IIB in the plated 6 issn' ,located .that when-the engine isrevolved rtbhave the Varm `bracket ,-assemblies come tothedash position., lFig. 3 ,-the openingsll` will belekposedthrough the 4slot Ill, as .indicated Figl', so'` the pushrods may bewithd'rawn inreference .to .those horizontal cylindersl For convenience, the .31; .is attacheatc menu-reread jor the nunmongaby any flexible connection, suchlasa chain y3S, Fig. 3.

, Thus it isto be vseen `tllat anengine stand is provided,which'permitslree revolution of the -engine between lend supports withoutfinterference from any interconnecting bars or thelike,` :and that hasan. exceedingly small number "o f parts in vits assexiibly.` Fnrthermorathe stand permits access to any and all of the various par-ts of `the engine even including the Amembers that would normally. be covered over bythearrn `assembly brackets or the upper ends ofthe. end supports.

While the invention hasbeen herein shown and described in the one ,paf1tcullar.form,it.is'obvous that structural ,changes maybe employed, such for example as inthe particular 4forrriation ofthe end supports and in themannerof interconnecting thevarious elements ofthearm bracket'assemblies, without departing from the spirit `of the ,invention and it is therefore not desired that' the (invention be limited to that .precise forrrlbeyond the limitations 4as may be imposed by the following claim. I claim:

- Ari/engine stand comprising a pair of supports the upper end of each of `which carries a bearing member Ahaving an; inner vertically disposed abutting respectively one of said planar sur- K faces, a trunnion extending from the outer side of each of said members shaped to enter said notches from above and rotate therein, an engine attaching pad mountedon each of said members opposing one another, anda steady bar carried 10 lby each of -said members to extend inwardly therefrom in axial alignment one bar with the other, and means carried by said trunnions for holding them against axial displacement across Asaid notches whereby said brackets can be individually applied to an engine and the combined engine and bracket unit may be lowered onto the supports with trunnions entering the notched bearings.

JOSEPH H. STALEY. 

